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The Alaska Current The Alaska Current is a collective of journalists, creatives and content creators.

On Friday, Superior Court Judge Christina Rankin threw out 27 signature petition booklets due to problems identified dur...
22/07/2024

On Friday, Superior Court Judge Christina Rankin threw out 27 signature petition booklets due to problems identified during a two-week trial earlier this month.

The long and twisting path of a right-wing effort to repeal Alaska’s open primaries just got a little longer.

From Alaska Beacon - The six-member board directs the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp., which controls the $81.8 billion inve...
19/07/2024

From Alaska Beacon - The six-member board directs the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp., which controls the $81.8 billion invested by the Alaska Permanent Fund.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has reappointed Ethan Schutt to a public seat on the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.’s board of directors, a little over two weeks after Schutt’s prior term expired.

From Alaska Beacon - Reports published this week by the Federal Elections Commission cover the period from April 1 throu...
18/07/2024

From Alaska Beacon - Reports published this week by the Federal Elections Commission cover the period from April 1 through June 30. They show Mary Peltola having raised over $2.1 million in that stretch.

Incumbent Alaska Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola is continuing to raise more money than her Republican challengers.

Multidisciplinary artist Sabrina Kessakorn’s winning design for the Alaska Artistic License Plate competition features a...
17/07/2024

Multidisciplinary artist Sabrina Kessakorn’s winning design for the Alaska Artistic License Plate competition features an alpenglow Denali juxtaposed to fireweed in the foreground.

Sabrina Kessakorn’s license plate design will soon be rolling out statewide; in addition to physical plates, there will be merchandise available for purchase.

From Alaska Beacon - Only one of four Early Head Start classrooms is likely to be open in Nome next year because it is s...
17/07/2024

From Alaska Beacon - Only one of four Early Head Start classrooms is likely to be open in Nome next year because it is so difficult to retain qualified staff.

Care providers say the money is going to salaries to retain teachers and keep centers open

From Alaska Beacon - Darren Deacon is challenging incumbent Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, for the state House seat co...
17/07/2024

From Alaska Beacon - Darren Deacon is challenging incumbent Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, for the state House seat covering much of Southwest Alaska.

The Alaska Division of Elections has confirmed the eligibility of nonpartisan candidate Darren Deacon.

Mayor Suzanne LaFrance's approach is already markedly different from the previous administration’s top-down philosophy.
11/07/2024

Mayor Suzanne LaFrance's approach is already markedly different from the previous administration’s top-down philosophy.

Tuesday’s event was a listening event, an opportunity for the transition team members to present their policy proposals and take input from the public.

Judge Kindred's downfall: From Trump appointee to resignation amidst allegations of sexual harassment and workplace host...
10/07/2024

Judge Kindred's downfall: From Trump appointee to resignation amidst allegations of sexual harassment and workplace hostility. The Judicial Council's report paints a disturbing picture.

Scathing report reveals Judge Joshua Kindred's pattern of abusing power, creating a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and lying to investigators.

🕯️ Sarah Yelle, founder of Own Glow Candle Co, wants their handcrafted candles to evoke an "inner glow." Their artisan s...
09/07/2024

🕯️ Sarah Yelle, founder of Own Glow Candle Co, wants their handcrafted candles to evoke an "inner glow." Their artisan scents like "Protecting My Peace" and "Wind Down" are designed for cozy nights in. Read more about how each candle undergoes meticulous crafting for a clean, cozy burn in this week's Creative Currents.

Creative Sarah Yelle has been selling candles for a year under Own Glow Candle Co, their candle company focused on unlocking your inner glow.

After a tight vote and looming veto concerns, the HOME Initiative becomes law, reshaping zoning policy to increase housi...
05/07/2024

After a tight vote and looming veto concerns, the HOME Initiative becomes law, reshaping zoning policy to increase housing affordability in Alaska's largest city.

The hard-fought HOME measure is part of a larger effort to increase the availability and affordability of housing in Alaska’s largest city.

What began as a desire to take better photographs of items he was selling on his Ebay storefront has turned into somethi...
03/07/2024

What began as a desire to take better photographs of items he was selling on his Ebay storefront has turned into something that has overtaken photographer Young Kim’s life. He will be showing work from his collection, "What Good is Fruit that is not Sweet?" at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art in Anchorage for First Friday, on July 5, from 5 - 8 p.m.

In 2023, Young Kim was selected for an Individual Artist Award, funding a photography project with his mom, highlighting identity and reverse diaspora

In Alaska, a good day of collecting signatures for an initiative may net 40 to 50 signatures. The lead campaigner behind...
03/07/2024

In Alaska, a good day of collecting signatures for an initiative may net 40 to 50 signatures. The lead campaigner behind the effort to repeal Alaska’s open primary and ranked-choice voting system collected 580 in a single day.

About 11,000 signatures were flagged. If they are rejected it would leave the open primaries repeal effort short of enough signatures to reach the ballot.

In her inaugural address, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance emphasized transparency, accountability, and good governance as foundat...
02/07/2024

In her inaugural address, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance emphasized transparency, accountability, and good governance as foundational to her administration's priorities.

Suzanne LaFrance became Anchorage’s first elected female mayor on Monday.

From Alaska Beacon - states have struggled to meet the federal requirements for the grants, but only Alaska has not yet ...
02/07/2024

From Alaska Beacon - states have struggled to meet the federal requirements for the grants, but only Alaska has not yet complied.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed the funds state legislators set aside to settle a dispute between Alaska’s education officials and their federal counterparts over whether the state spent pandemic relief equitably.

However, the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling doesn’t endorse the practice — far from it. Instead, it found that the Superi...
01/07/2024

However, the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling doesn’t endorse the practice — far from it. Instead, it found that the Superior Court judge used a sledgehammer when a scalpel was more appropriate.

“This is a huge win for public education and a huge win for families,” Dunleavy said.

From Alaska Beacon - The Biden administration on Friday took the final step needed to reject a proposed and controversia...
28/06/2024

From Alaska Beacon - The Biden administration on Friday took the final step needed to reject a proposed and controversial 211-mile industrial road through the Brooks Range foothills that would enable commercial mining in a remote Arctic area in Northwest Alaska.

A BLM record of decision made formal the rejection announced in April, and the agency also backs continued ban on development for 28 million acres.

The initiative would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2027 and guarantee paid sick leave. Alaska’s minimum wage is curre...
28/06/2024

The initiative would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2027 and guarantee paid sick leave. Alaska’s minimum wage is currently $11.73, which is a product of a 2014 voter initiative.

About two in three Alaskans would vote for an initiative to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2027 and guarantee paid sick leave, according to a new poll.

This week, the Alaska Supreme Court heard arguments on whether public home-school funds can be used for private and reli...
28/06/2024

This week, the Alaska Supreme Court heard arguments on whether public home-school funds can be used for private and religious school tuition. A pivotal case for education funding in the state.

Governor Dunleavy supports lifting oversight on home-school funding, citing parental rights. Opponents argue it undermines public education.

The Anchorage Assembly passes HOME Initiative amid passionate testimony on housing accessibility. The measure allows dup...
27/06/2024

The Anchorage Assembly passes HOME Initiative amid passionate testimony on housing accessibility. The measure allows duplexes in single-family zones to address city’s housing shortage.

The Anchorage Assembly heard story after story of frustration, heartache and anger from renters and younger homeowners about the city’s housing shortage.

Alaska Permanent Fund CEO dismisses ethics concerns as 'noise' amidst leaked emails revealing questionable investment pr...
27/06/2024

Alaska Permanent Fund CEO dismisses ethics concerns as 'noise' amidst leaked emails revealing questionable investment practices.

Ethical concerns and financial risks shadow Alaska Permanent Fund’s stability, sparking calls for oversight amidst $600M shortfall prediction.

"There is something really special about the Anchorage music scene," said Seth Boyer, a musician who moved back home to ...
25/06/2024

"There is something really special about the Anchorage music scene," said Seth Boyer, a musician who moved back home to Alaska after living in the Lower 48 for the last decade. Learn more about their music and podcast "Skulltenders" in this week's Creative Currents.

After living in the Lower 48 for a decade, musician Seth Boyer is finally back home.

From The Alaska Memo: "If you’re expecting Anchorage to be a left-wing paradise/nightmare once Mayor-elect Suzanne LaFra...
25/06/2024

From The Alaska Memo: "If you’re expecting Anchorage to be a left-wing paradise/nightmare once Mayor-elect Suzanne LaFrance takes office, may I suggest looking into the ongoing battle over the city’s zoning laws?"

The question, to me, is what does preserving the city’s quality of life even mean?

From Dermot Cole - Journalist - Alaska's hiring of Elbert Lin, a VA lawyer, for $650/hr sparks debate. He defends SB100 ...
25/06/2024

From Dermot Cole - Journalist - Alaska's hiring of Elbert Lin, a VA lawyer, for $650/hr sparks debate. He defends SB100 in court, arguing against state control over school spending.

Senate Bill No. 100, from Gov. Mike Dunleavy, allows educational services to be purchased from private and religious organizations.

From - The findings, described in a letter to the Alaska Division of Elections, resulted from an investigation spurred ...
21/06/2024

From - The findings, described in a letter to the Alaska Division of Elections, resulted from an investigation spurred by voter complaints, the Justice Department said. The department said it has asked the division to correct the problems.

Alaska failed to accommodate people with disabilities who were trying to cast votes in various 2022 and 2023 elections, a violation of federal law, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.

Anchorage faces a housing shortage, but change could be on the horizon! 🏠 On June 25, the Anchorage Assembly will consid...
21/06/2024

Anchorage faces a housing shortage, but change could be on the horizon! 🏠 On June 25, the Anchorage Assembly will consider updates to zoning laws that allow duplexes and multi-unit residences in most parts of the city.

Making changes to Anchorage’s zoning laws has been an uphill battle. But, it’s one that supporters say is a worthwhile task to address the city’s chronic shortage of housing.

From Alaska Beacon - A dispute between Alaska’s education officials and their federal counterparts over whether the stat...
20/06/2024

From Alaska Beacon - A dispute between Alaska’s education officials and their federal counterparts over whether the state spent pandemic relief equitably has had its first tangible consequence.

State officials offered feds a $300,000 compromise instead of $17 million adjustment.

From Alaska Beacon - Dunleavy has until early July to make a decision on Senate Bill 22. If he approves the measure, it ...
20/06/2024

From Alaska Beacon - Dunleavy has until early July to make a decision on Senate Bill 22. If he approves the measure, it will automatically go into effect for 2025.

If the governor signs a recently passed bill, Juneteenth would be observed as a state holiday in 2025.

From Dermot Cole - Journalist - The state is facing critical service failures: food stamp backlog, payroll delays and th...
19/06/2024

From Dermot Cole - Journalist - The state is facing critical service failures: food stamp backlog, payroll delays and thousands waiting on Medicaid. Now, retirees face months-long waits for pensions and death benefits.

Staff shortages continue to plague Alaska’s government services.

Madelyn Joan Troiano believes that artists are the only ones standing in their own way — herself included — and encourag...
18/06/2024

Madelyn Joan Troiano believes that artists are the only ones standing in their own way — herself included — and encourages other small creators to push themselves out of their comfort zone to get what they want. Read more about her upcoming solo exhibition in this week's Creative Currents.

The artist has her first solo exhibition coming up next month at Akela Space, beginning July 5 and titled “Pink Boardroom.”

While conservative legislation isn’t anything new, the Republican-controlled House provided a platform for these issues ...
17/06/2024

While conservative legislation isn’t anything new, the Republican-controlled House provided a platform for these issues in the form of committees chaired by extreme-right legislators.

From the trans youth sports ban to the governor’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation to a fetal personhood bill, the Alaska Legislature saw a sharp rise conservative culture war issues.

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What’s happening with the BSA?
What’s happening with the BSA?

Listen in as Matt Buxton explains what’s happening in Juneau regarding education and the Base Student Allocation.

This Week In News | October 5th, 2023 Special thanks to our contributors! Read more at thealaskacurrent.com

This Week in News | September 28th, 2023 Special thanks to our contributors: Nathaniel Herz, Northern Journal Matt Acuna Buxton Samantha Davenport Dermot Cole Read more at thealaskacurrent.com

This Week In News | September 21st, 2023 Special thanks to our contributors: Matt Acuña Buxton Samantha Davenport Yarrow Silvers Read more at thealaskacurrent.com

This Week in News | September 8th, 2023 Special thanks to our contributors! Read more at thealaskacurrent.com

This Week in News | July 14th, 2023 Special thanks to our contributors: Yarrow Silvers Matt Acuna Buxton

This Week in News | June 29th, 2023 | The Alaska Current
This Week in News | June 29th, 2023 | The Alaska Current

Our top headlines this week. Special thanks to our contributors: Matt Acuna Buxton (x2) Samantha Davenport Eric Booton

🗞This Week In News🗞 Special thanks to our contributors: Matt Acuna Buxton (x2) Samantha Davenport Justin Elliot, Joshua Kaplan, Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica Kaitlin Armstrong

This week in news. Special thanks to this week's contributors: Matt Buxton Eric Booton

This week in news! 🗞 Special thanks to our contributors: Yarrows Silvers Lex Treinen Cole Dermot Eric Booton Matt Acuna Buxton

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May 25, 2023 | This Week in News | The Alaska Current
May 25, 2023 | This Week in News | The Alaska Current

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